Apple tree named &#39;milwa&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new apple tree named ‘Milwa’ is disclosed. The fruit of the new variety is particularly notable for its eating quality and distinctive appearance. The fruit is firm, crunchy, juicy and fully flavored, and takes on a distinctive luminous red coloration as it ripens on the tree. ‘Milwa’ apples maintain favorable texture and firmness during and after long term storage.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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PRIORITY CLAIM

None

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

None

LATIN NAME

Malus pumila Mill.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Milwa’

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

‘Milwa’ is a new and distinct cultivar of apple tree Malus pumila Mill.This new cultivar is a product of a controlled breeding program carriedout by the inventor at the Federal Research Station AgroscopeChangins-Wädenswil at Wädenswil, Switzerland. ‘Milwa’ was one of severalseedlings resulting from a cross made in 1982 of female parent XII A 277(‘Idared’ ×‘Maigold’) (not patented) and male parent ‘Elstar’ (notpatented). A single tree of ‘Milwa’ on ‘M27’ rootstock was planted atWädenswil, Switzerland in 1985, and was asexually propagated for furthertesting in 1988. ‘Milwa’ has been observed to remain true to type oversuccessive asexually propagated generations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

‘Milwa’ was selected for its suitability as a commercial apple treevariety. Fruit of ‘Milwa’ is notable for its globose shape and luminousred color. The characteristics that distinguish ‘Milwa’ from its parentand from other related varieties are set fort in Table 1. TABLE 1Comparison of ‘Milwa’ to Parents and Other Known Varieties (measurementsgiven are approximate) Fruit Tree Variety Shape Skin Color VigourHarvest Date Milwa Globose Orange red 34A Weak to 1 week before conicalto red purple 59A medium Golden Delicious Elstar globose Orange red 34Cvigorous 2 weeks before Golden Delicious Idared Broad Red 54A medium 1week after globose Golden Delicious

BRIEF DESCIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

FIG. 1 shows the fruit and leaves of ‘Milwa’

FIG. 2 shows longitudinal and transverse cross sections of ‘Milwa’ afterstorage.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following detailed botanical description is based on observationsmade during the 2006 growing season at Wädenswil, Switzerland, of twoyear old trees grown on M9 rootstock in high density plantings. Allcolors are described according to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart. It should be understood that the characteristics described willvary somewhat depending upon cultural practices and chic conditions, andwill vary with location and season. Quantified measurements areexpressed as an average of measurements taken from a number ofindividual plants of the new variety. The measurements of any individualplant, or any group of plants, of the new variety may vary from thestated average.

-   Tree: Vigor — weak to medium (weaker than ‘Golden Delicious’); Type    — ramified; Habit — spreading; Height — medium high (2.30 m); Trunk    diameter (at 30 cm above the graft union) — medium (31 mm); Bark    texture — smooth to medium; Bark coloration — grey 201B; Lenticels —    medium, oval, light yellow brown 158D.-   Branch (fruiting branches located at around 1 m above the graft    union): Length — long (avg. 62 cm); Diameter — medium-large (avg.    14.7 mm); Crotch angle — 70° to 90° (avg. 80°); Bark color — brown    200C; Lenticels — medium, oval, light yellow brown 158D.-   One year old shoot: Length — short to medium (avg. 22 cm); Color —    brown N200B; Pubescence (on upper half of the shoot) — medium    strong; Thickness — medium (avg. 50 mm); Internode length — medium    (avg. 14 mm); Pubescence — medium-strong; Number of lenticels — very    few (3 lenticels per cm²).-   Pollination: Diploid; Good pollinators include ‘Braeburn,’ ‘Golden    Delicious,’ Iduna,’ Pinova,’ and ‘Fuji’; No incompatibility with    common pollinators has been observed.-   Flower buds: Quantity per spur — 2 to 3; Shape — conical; length —    medium (avg. 10 mm); Diameter — medium (avg. 10 mm); Color — Red    purple 61A.-   Flowers: Color (flower buds) — Red Purple 60A; Diameter of open    flower — very large; Relative position of petal margin —    overlapping; Number per cluster — 5 to 7; Date of first bloom —    April 8 in Loire Valley, France (4 days prior to Gala); Date of full    bloom — April 11 in Loire Valley, France (4 days prior to Gala).-   Petals: Number per flower — 5; Shape — oval; Length — long (avg. 22    mm); Width — wide (avg. 15 mm); Apex — round; Base — pointed; Margin    — smooth to medium; Coloration of upper surface — purple 76A;    Coloration of lower surface — purple 77D.-   Pistils: Size — long (12 mm); Color — yellow green 145D.-   Anthers: Quantity — numerous (avg. 18 per flower); Size — medium    (avg 2 mm); Presence of pollen — present; Color of pollen — yellow    4C.-   Stigma: Size — small-medium (avg. 0.5 mm); Color — pale yellow 9C.-   Style: Size — medium-long (avg. 9 mm); Color — yellow green N144D.-   Ovary: Size — medium (avg. 1.8 mm); Color — green 134B.-   Pedicel: Length — medium (avg. 18 mm); Diameter — thin (avg. 1.2    mm); Color — green 143C.-   Sepals: Quantity — 5; Coloration — green 143C; Shape — conical    pointed.-   Leaves: Shape — oblanceolate; Length (petiole not included) —    medium-long (avg. 89 mm); Width — narrow-medium (avg. 57 mm);    Length/width ratio — medium (1.56); Blade margin — crenate; Apex —    acuminate; Base shape — oblique; Color of upper surface — green 143A    (in early summer); Color of lower surface — green 143C (in early    summer); Attitude in relation to shoot — outward.-   Petiole: Length — medium (avg. 25 mm); Diameter — medium-thick (avg    1.4 mm); Coloration — yellow green 145B.-   Fruit: Quantity per cluster — 2 to 4; Size — medium (avg. 77 mm);    Weight — medium (avg. 200 g); Ratio of height to width —    small-medium (0.9); General shape in profile — broad globose to    conical/globose to conical; Position of maximum diameter — in    middle; Ribbing — absent or very weak; Crowning at calyx end — weak;    Size of eye — medium (avg 9.3 mm); Aperture of eye — fully open;    Length of sepal — medium (avg. 5.9 mm); Bloom of skin — absent or    very weak; Greasiness of skin — absent or very weak; Background    color of skin — yellow 11A; Amount of over color — high; Over color    of skin — orange red 34A to red purple 59A: Intensity of over color    — medium-dark; Pattern of over color — solid flush with stripes;    Lenticels — small, round, white N155D; Amount of russet around stalk    cavity — high; Amount of russet on cheeks — absent or very weak;    Area of russet around eye basin — absent or very weak; Length of    stalk — medium (avg. 18 mm); Thickness of stalk — medium (avg. 2.3    mm); Depth of stalk cavity — medium (avg. 16.5 mm); Width of stalk    cavity — medium (avg. 34.5 mm); Depth of eye basin — medium (avg. 73    mm); Width of eye basin — medium (avg. 29 mm); Firmness of flesh    (measurement with penetrometer) — firm (avg. 7.2); Flesh texture —    firm and crunchy; Aroma — aromatic and slightly acidic; Juiciness —    medium to high; Brix — 13° brix minimum at harvest time; Flesh    coloration — yellow 4C; Stem coloration — yellow green 144B to green    brown 199C.-   Seeds: Quantity per fruit — 4 on average; Shape — truncate ovoid;    Coloration — greyed purple N186C.-   Harvest: Time for harvest — medium, second week of September (one    week before ‘Golden Delicious’) ; Harvest window — 3 weeks; Number    of picks — one to two picks; Amount of fruit produced per tree per    harvest — 60 fruits on sixth leaf trees.-   Disease resistance: Relatively susceptible to mildew; Average    susceptibility to scab; Susceptibility to fire blight is similar to    ‘Gala.’

1. A new and distinct apple tree substantially as described andillustrated herein.